Hello my little horror fans. Thank you for staying with me during this 31 Days of Spook. Today, let’s talk about haunted houses.
When I think about the most haunted house here in the United States, the first one that always comes to mind is the Myrtles Plantation in St Francisville, Louisiana. Today, it’s a quaint little bed and breakfast. But before, there was an ugly past that took place that made it the spook fest that it is today.
Back in the day of plantations, there was a despicable thing that southern plantation owners did and that was called having slaves. It was a horrible act to ‘own’ another person just because of the color of your skin. Thank goodness that those days are long behind us and we have progressed to the point of not ‘owning’ someone ever again.
But back in the day of the Myrtles when Mark and Sara Woodruff owned the plantation, they had many slaves, one in particular was Chloe. Chloe was caught eavesdropping on a conversation of the Woodruffs. For punishment, one of Chloe’s ears was cut off and she wore a green turban to hide it. Chloe, to say the least, was very upset over having one of her ears cut off.
In order to get even, Chloe baked a birthday cake containing the extract of boiled and reduced oleander leaves, which are extremely poisonous. Her plan was to make Mr. Woodruff sick but it backfired. Only Sara Woodruff and her two daughters ate the cake and all three of them died from the poison. All of the other slaves were very upset over Chloe doing this and supposedly they hung Chloe and then threw her body into the Mississippi River.
To this day when the circumstances are just right, you can see Chloe wearing her green turban walking through the Myrtles Plantation or the grounds. And, if you look closer, you can see the Woodruff children playing on the front porch just like they did when they were alive.
And there are rumors about a mirror in the plantation. Shivers. This one had my fur standing straight up on edge. Back in the day, when there was a death in the family, people covered all of the mirrors in the home. Perhaps with everything going on with Chloe and the three deaths, a mirror that hangs in the foyer got forgotten. It’s rumored that this mirror holds the spirits of Sara Woodruff and her two children. So if you are visiting the plantation and primping in this mirror, give it a close look. You might see some little hand marks on the glass.
But let’s now stop here with Chloe. There are still others that haunt the plantation. The house itself is reported to be built over an Indian burial ground. Legend is there is a ghost of a young Indian woman that can be seen around the grounds.
And during the Civil War, the house was overtaken by Union soldiers. It’s claimed that there were three soldiers killed in the house in the doorway. There in the doorway is a blood stain where the three soldiers were killed roughly the size of a human body that will not come clean. Legend states that people that try to use a mop or broom on that one particular area are unable to push the mop or broom in that one spot.
Have you had enough of this plantation yet? Is your fur standing on edge? Let me end with one more story of the Myrtles Plantation.
There is also the ghost of William Winter. He was shot on the front porch of the plantation. He came back inside and crawled up the stairs to the 17th step where he collapsed dead in his wife’s arms. Often, you can see a ghost walking or crawling up the stairs and disappearing on the 17th step. Doesn’t this make you want to go ghost hunting now?
Barks! Hello friends to the end of a very short work week – YAY!! I’m so glad it’s over. I’m ready for some more mommy time this weekend. Plus this weekend I have a spa date scheduled. I really need it. Daddy said I smell like a dog. As if he wishes he was that lucky to smell like me, right? It’s hard working getting that smell. Come on my fellow anipals, you know what I’m talking about.
Bacon told you earlier in the week that we did nothing over the holiday. We made mom slow down and rest. That was the most important thing for the holiday – get rest! Sometimes moms think they are Super Women and try to do everything. I’m sure you can relate to your moms. Everyone was in the living room watching some television show one day and mom woke up to this picture. Of course she had to snap a picture. She was afraid to move too much because she would wake us up. It was hilarious. And Bacon is no fool. He was asleep on the floor under the fan. Smart oinker huh? So my friends remember to get extra snuggles this weekend.
Now I leave you with Jokes wit Dad. Be afraid – barks with puppy laughter.
Oh friends – I’m happy to say that Bashful made it back home over the weekend. In fact, mom/dad went out Sunday morning. When they got home, there was a special delivery on the porch – BASHFUL. Remember he had been visiting Miss Harper Lee and her sister Tallulah Bee in New Orleans. Of course, they couldn’t wait to get the box in and dig inside. Boy were mom/dad happy – look at all of the awesome goodies. There were marvelous hand pies from New Orleans from Haydel’s Bakery. They had 4 different flavors – chocolate, lemon, cherry and apple. The note from Miss Harper’s mom said to nuke a pie in the microwave for a mere 15 seconds and eat. Well mom picked out the chocolate, nuked it and her and daddy then proceeded to make more aaww and oohh sounds in the kitchen than a porno – not that I would know anything about that….looks innocent. The package also had beads, a shirt, cookies and red beans. Remember last week when Miss Harper’s mom posted her Red Beans and Rice recipe? If not, you can get it here. My mom now has the beans and Bashful is begging for more of this delicious meal that he tried while in New Orleans. So next week when my mom is on vacation, she is going to make this fantastic looking recipe. We can’t wait… of course mine will be minus any pork products... you know for obvious reasons – snorts with piggy laughter.
AND did you see the magnificent piggy Christmas ornament? Squeals with delight! Isn’t it magnificent? Mommy put it on our book shelf in the living room. That way we can see it every day of the year – not just at Christmas time. We absolutely love it!
And see the pop rocks. That’s for Bashful and his new friend. You know, in case they got hungry on the way home to the Hotel Thompson.
And of course you know when Bashful comes home, he brings a friend. This time was no different. Meet Lola from NOLA – isn’t she beautiful? So flashy and it’s just meant for Lola to be laying around in those beads – don’t you think? So our friends from New Orleans – thank you bunches and bunches. We love everything and will think of you often!!
Oh friends – have you been wondering what my little Bashful has been doing in New Orleans? Well you gotta check it out – he’s been rolling around having a blast! XOXO – Bacon
It’s been a while since I’ve given you an update on Bashful’s New Orleans adventures. Every time I turn around, that little fella is hopping into my human mommy’s purse and they’re headed out the door. I finally got those two to sit down long enough to tell me where they’ve been and to share a few photos. Wow. They’ve been busy. A couple of weekends ago, Bashful joined both of my humans at Armstrong Park for the Treme Creole Gumbo Festival–New Orleans’ Premier Brass Band Showcase, which is presented by the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation. In New Orleans, we love a festival. There’s at least one every month–sometimes one each weekend of the month–and they usually revolve around tasty food and great music.
This festival features gumbo of every sort you can imagine: creole gumbo, seafood gumbo, chicken and sausage gumbo, even vegan gumbo and…
Last Friday, my little sister and I received a very special delivery from our sweet little piggy friend Bacon. (If you already know Bacon, then you know what a special little pig he is. If you don’t know Bacon, click here to link to his blog. I promise you’ll fall in love.) To say that our box from Bacon sent both of us into a tizzy would be quite the understatement. It was packed full of everything a girl could ever want.
Tallulah and I were especially obsessed over the pink piggy toy. We spent quite a bit of time trying to dismember him, but he’s tough and managed to survive . . . at least for the first round.
As fabulously fun as the pink piggy toy and the fancy treats were, there was something even more special in that little box from Bacon. Meet Bashful, Bacon’s pet rock. As…
So you were brave enough to come back for another scare my friends? How brave you are. You may want ask your human to get you a night light tonight because it can only get worse from here – insert evil snort. Today we are going to highlight some famous and eerie cemeteries. Are you brave enough to enter my cemetery of the famous dead? I’ve wandered throughout the internet and done a lot of research to bring you some intriguing places of final rest… or is it? I hope that you find them interesting.
Let’s take a little stroll amidst the stones shall we.
When I think of scary and mysterious cemeteries, my first thoughts have to go towards New Orleans. Let’s visit the St. Louis Cemetery #1. This cemetery opened in 1789 and there are over 100,000 residents. With that much of a crowd, you know some have to be a little unhappy with their final resting place. I know I would be. The most famous tenant here is Marie Laveau. Marie Laveau was a famous voodoo priestess. People visit her grave site often and mark three “X’s” on her grave. People that do so believe that by marking the three “X’s”, Marie Laveau will grant them their wish.
The next that came to mind were two different cemeteries in the Chicago area. One was Bachelor’s Grove Cemetery in Chicagoland. I’ve heard about this place a lot over the years. I’ve seen specials on television and mommy has read me different chilling facts in books. Not only does this cemetery have a history of unexplained lights and ghosts, it has an entire house that mysteriously appears and disappears. Many people that have seen the house describe it as a white farmhouse with pillars and a swing. The other cemetery was Resurrection Cemetery in Chicago. This story sends chills up and down my spine every time I see it on television. It starts off with a beautiful girl who was walking home from a dance one late night. She was hit by a car and killed and has been looking for a ride home every since. I saw a story one night where a man picked up this lady at a dance. They danced into the late hours and he admitted that she felt cold to the touch. Upon taking her home after the dance, she asked him to stop in front of the cemetery. She got out and disappeared into the air.
And how can we forget the most eerie of places in Salem, Massachusetts at Howard Street Cemetery. With all of the witch hunts that took place here, this has got to be one of the most haunted places in the United States. Just think of all of the innocent people that were slowly tortured and burned at the stake for the public believing they were witches. How many of those spirits still walk around wanting people to know that they were innocent but forever labeled a witch. Talk about your unfinished business in setting things straight. This reminds me of a story that mom told me about a guy named Giles Corey. He was officially the only person to die by torture during these Witch Trials. He wouldn’t say that he was a witch so the sheriff of the time made him lay down in the middle of his field. The sheriff then had a board placed across his chest and slowly added stones on top of the board. Eventually two days later, Corey was crushed to death in a slow and agonizing way.
Today, let’s talk about haunted houses. When I think about the most haunted house here in the United States, the first one that always comes to mind is the Myrtles Plantation in St Francisville, Louisiana. Today, it’s a quaint little bed and breakfast. But before, there was an ugly past that took place that made it the spook fest that it is today.
Back in the day of plantations, there was a despicable thing that southern plantation owners did and that was called having slaves. It was a horrible act to ‘own’ another person just because of the color of your skin. Thank goodness that those days are long behind us and we have progressed to the point of not ‘owning’ someone ever again.
But back in the day of the Myrtles when Mark and Sara Woodruff owned the plantation, they had many slaves, one in particular was Chloe. Chloe was caught eavesdropping on a conversation of the Woodruffs. For punishment, one of Chloe’s ears was cut off and she wore a green turban to hide it. Chloe, to say the least, was very upset over having one of her ears cut off.
In order to get even, Chloe baked a birthday cake containing the extract of boiled and reduced oleander leaves, which are extremely poisonous. Her plan was to make Mr. Woodruff sick but it backfired. Only Sara Woodruff and her two daughters ate the cake and all three of them died from the poison. All of the other slaves were very upset over Chloe doing this and supposedly they hung Chloe and then threw her body into the Mississippi River.
To this day when the circumstances are just right, you can see Chloe wearing her green turban walking through the Myrtles Plantation or the grounds. And, if you look closer, you can see the Woodruff children playing on the front porch just like they did when they were alive.
And there are rumors about a mirror in the plantation. Shivers. This one had my fur standing straight up on edge. Back in the day, when there was a death in the family, people covered all of the mirrors in the home. Perhaps with everything going on with Chloe and the three deaths, a mirror that hangs in the foyer got forgotten. It’s rumored that this mirror holds the spirits of Sara Woodruff and her two children. So if you are visiting the plantation and primping in this mirror, give it a close look. You might see some little hand marks on the glass.
But let’s now stop here with Chloe. There are still others that haunt the plantation. The house itself is reported to be built over an Indian burial ground. Legend is there is a ghost of a young Indian woman that can be seen around the grounds.
And during the Civil War, the house was overtaken by Union soldiers. It’s claimed that there were three soldiers killed in the house in the doorway. There in the doorway is a blood stain where the three soldiers were killed roughly the size of a human body that will not come clean. Legend states that people that try to use a mop or broom on that one particular area are unable to push the mop or broom in that one spot.
Have you had enough of this plantation yet? Is your fur standing on edge? Let me end with one more story of the Myrtles Plantation.
There is also the ghost of William Winter. He was shot on the front porch of the plantation. He came back inside and crawled up the stairs to the 17th step where he collapsed dead in his wife’s arms. Often, you can see a ghost walking or crawling up the stairs and disappearing on the 17th step. Doesn’t this make you want to go ghost hunting now?
Sometimes the best movies are the older black and white movies from back in the day. The other day mom was flipping through the television guide and came across a movie that intrigued her. She told us that we *had* to watch this movie. We were intrigued so popcorn and drinks in paw, hoof and hand, we bundled together in the living room and watched it.
The movie was called The Alligator People and it was released in July 1959. It’s a classic black and white starring Beverly Garland, Lon Chaney Jr and Bruce Bennett. The name sounds interesting, right? It starts with two psychiatrists talking about nurse, Jane Marvin, in the office. They administer pentothal to her and put her in a deep hypnosis where she recalls a forgotten past when she was known as Joyce.
Joyce recalls just being married to her love, Paul Webster, and they are on a train for their honeymoon. They receive several telegrams congratulating them on their nuptials. But one telegram, Paul opens, reads and immediately starts to panic. At the next train stop, he leaves the train to make a phone call without a single word to his new bride and never returns. Of course Joyce gets off at the next time and back tracks to the stop that Paul got off but she can’t find him. So there she is, newly married but now her husband is missing. What happen?
Joyce hires private detectives and over the next following months she tries to track down her husband. One day, she discovers an address for Paul in some college enrollment forms at Cypresses Plantation. She writes a letter to the plantation but it comes back unopened. Not giving up, she takes a train to the plantation which is in the middle swamp country in Louisiana. She gets off the train and the stop is empty except for a large crate that is marked Cypresses Plantation. Thinking that someone has to come sooner or later to pick up the crate, she waits. This is when the handyman for the plantation (played by Lon Chaney) shows up to retrieve the box. She hops a ride back to the plantation with him and the fun starts.
At first, the owner of the plantation and the staff deny knowing Paul Webster. They tell Joyce that she has to leave but the train doesn’t pick up until the next morning. The woman over the plantation tells Joyce that she can spend the night but she has to stay in her room and can’t come out. Of course we know that’s not going to happen, right? Joyce comes out of the room later that night when she hears someone playing beautiful music on the piano in the parlor. She creeps down and into the parlor. She sees a man playing the piano but when she says something to him, he quickly leaves. This makes Joyce more determined than anything that there is something go on at the plantation.
She confronts the owner of the plantation again the next morning. That’s when she learns that the owner is actually Paul Webster’s mom. Can you imagine?! And Paul Webster – where is he? Well apparently he was in a very bad accident before he and Joyce got married. But his body was perfect when they got married so who would have thought that. The mysterious telegram he got on the train? Well, it was from one of his doctors from when he was in the accident. That doctor had used a drug that he had created from alligators that made the body whole again. The downfall that the doctor realized though was the drug would also turn the individual into Alligator People!
This is an awesome movie for sure. Yes it’s in black and white. BUT back in the day, they really knew how to write movies and dialogue. The imaging graphics aren’t as good as the ones today but the story held its own and was good. I gave it 3 hooves up out of 4. I would have given it 4 but then I would have tumbled over. I highly recommend this movie – if you find it, watch it and let me know what you think my friends.
Today, let’s talk about haunted houses. When I think about the most haunted house here in the United States, the first one that always comes to mind is the Myrtles Plantation in St Francisville, Louisiana. Today, it’s a quaint little bed and breakfast. But before, there was an ugly past that took place that made it the spook fest that it is today.
Back in the day of plantations, there was a despicable thing that southern plantation owners did and that was called having slaves. It was a horrible act to ‘own’ another person just because of the color of your skin. Thank goodness that those days are long behind us and we have progressed to the point of not ‘owning’ someone ever again.
But back in the day of the Myrtles when Mark and Sara Woodruff owned the plantation, they had many slaves, one in particular was Chloe. Chloe was caught eavesdropping on a conversation of the Woodruffs. For punishment, one of Chloe’s ears was cut off and she wore a green turban to hide it. Chloe, to say the least, was very upset over having one of her ears cut off.
In order to get even, Chloe baked a birthday cake containing the extract of boiled and reduced oleander leaves, which are extremely poisonous. Her plan was to make Mr. Woodruff sick but it backfired. Only Sara Woodruff and her two daughters ate the cake and all three of them died from the poison. All of the other slaves were very upset over Chloe doing this and supposedly they hung Chloe and then threw her body into the Mississippi River.
To this day when the circumstances are just right, you can see Chloe wearing her green turban walking through the Myrtles Plantation or the grounds. And, if you look closer, you can see the Woodruff children playing on the front porch just like they did when they were alive.
And there are rumors about a mirror in the plantation. Shivers. This one had my fur standing straight up on edge. Back in the day, when there was a death in the family, people covered all of the mirrors in the home. Perhaps with everything going on with Chloe and the three deaths, a mirror that hangs in the foyer got forgotten. It’s rumored that this mirror holds the spirits of Sara Woodruff and her two children. So if you are visiting the plantation and primping in this mirror, give it a close look. You might see some little hand marks on the glass.
But let’s now stop here with Chloe. There are still others that haunt the plantation. The house itself is reported to be built over an Indian burial ground. Legend is there is a ghost of a young Indian woman that can be seen around the grounds.
And during the Civil War, the house was overtaken by Union soldiers. It’s claimed that there were three soldiers killed in the house in the doorway. There in the doorway is a blood stain where the three soldiers were killed roughly the size of a human body that will not come clean. Legend states that people that try to use a mop or broom on that one particular area are unable to push the mop or broom in that one spot.
Have you had enough of this plantation yet? Is your fur standing on edge? Let me end with one more story of the Myrtles Plantation.
There is also the ghost of William Winter. He was shot on the front porch of the plantation. He came back inside and crawled up the stairs to the 17th step where he collapsed dead in his wife’s arms. Often, you can see a ghost walking or crawling up the stairs and disappearing on the 17th step. Doesn’t this make you want to go ghost hunting now?
So you were brave enough to come back for another scare my friends? How brave you are. You may want ask your human to get you a night light tonight because it can only get worse from here – insert evil snort. Today we are going to highlight some famous and eerie cemeteries. Are you brave enough to enter my cemetery of the famous dead? I’ve wandered throughout the internet and done a lot of research to bring you some intriguing places of final rest… or is it? I hope that you find them interesting.
Let’s take a little stroll amidst the stones shall we.
When I think of scary and mysterious cemeteries, my first thoughts have to go towards New Orleans. Let’s visit the St. Louis Cemetery #1. This cemetery opened in 1789 and there are over 100,000 residents. With that much of a crowd, you know some have to be a little unhappy with their final resting place. I know I would be. The most famous tenant here is Marie Laveau. Marie Laveau was a famous voodoo priestess. People visit her grave site often and mark three “X’s” on her grave. People that do so believe that by marking the three “X’s”, Marie Laveau will grant them their wish.
The next that came to mind were two different cemeteries in the Chicago area. One was Bachelor’s Grove Cemetery in Chicagoland. I’ve heard about this place a lot over the years. I’ve seen specials on television and mommy has read me different chilling facts in books. Not only does this cemetery have a history of unexplained lights and ghosts, it has an entire house that mysteriously appears and disappears. Many people that have seen the house describe it as a white farmhouse with pillars and a swing. The other cemetery was Resurrection Cemetery in Chicago. This story sends chills up and down my spine every time I see it on television. It starts off with a beautiful girl who was walking home from a dance one late night. She was hit by a car and killed and has been looking for a ride home every since. I saw a story one night where a man picked up this lady at a dance. They danced into the late hours and he admitted that she felt cold to the touch. Upon taking her home after the dance, she asked him to stop in front of the cemetery. She got out and disappeared into the air.
And how can we forget the most eerie of places in Salem, Massachusetts at Howard Street Cemetery. With all of the witch hunts that took place here, this has got to be one of the most haunted places in the United States. Just think of all of the innocent people that were slowly tortured and burned at the stake for the public believing they were witches. How many of those spirits still walk around wanting people to know that they were innocent but forever labeled a witch. Talk about your unfinished business in setting things straight. This reminds me of a story that mom told me about a guy named Giles Corey. He was officially the only person to die by torture during these Witch Trials. He wouldn’t say that he was a witch so the sheriff of the time made him lay down in the middle of his field. The sheriff then had a board placed across his chest and slowly added stones on top of the board. Eventually two days later, Corey was crushed to death in a slow and agonizing way.
Miniature pot bellied pig and friends - Bacon, Houdini, Hemi and all of the Rock Clan with Journalist Rocky the Squirrel all out looking for adventures from the Hotel Thompson.
of a crowd, you know some have to be a little unhappy with their final resting place. I know I would be. The most famous tenant here is Marie Laveau. Marie Laveau was a famous voodoo priestess. People visit her grave site often and mark three “X’s” on her grave. People that do so believe that by marking the three “X’s”, Marie Laveau will grant them their wish.
every time I see it on television. It starts off with a beautiful girl who was walking home from a dance one late night. She was hit by a car and killed and has been looking for a ride home every since. I saw a story one night where a man picked up this lady at a dance. They danced into the late hours and he admitted that she felt cold to the touch. Upon taking her home after the dance, she asked him to stop in front of the cemetery. She got out and disappeared into the air.
called The Alligator People and it was released in July 1959. It’s a classic black and white starring Beverly Garland, Lon Chaney Jr and Bruce Bennett. The name sounds interesting, right? It starts with two psychiatrists talking about nurse, Jane Marvin, in the office. They administer pentothal to her and put her in a deep hypnosis where she recalls a forgotten past when she was known as Joyce.
Piglove 